How can we improve Character Animator?

Tutorial Not working Properly

This isn't an idea. I'm doing the tutorial (auditions), I have 0 contro over the red monster or the doctor looking guy so far. My camera is on and I am on the top right screen but nothing I do including talking syncs with the character in the tutrial

It’s not uncommon for your computer to use a lot of processor when the camera is involved. As long as your working in a temperate environment on a hard surface, should be able to handle it. But if it slows down, that could be an issue. If you’re not streaming or your process can avoid it, try to have no other apps running that require access to your camera.

The puppet attempts lip sync when it ‘hears’ any audio, however there is a feature that will only allow it to move lips when your mouth is open or moving. Go to:

Character Menu →Preferences→Lip Sync→Camera Based Muting and set the slider to a stronger position. Usually about mid slider will get a good result. After that, if you’ve set your rest pose with your mouth in a neutral position, the character will not lip sync unless your mouth is open or moving out of a neutral position.

RE: ‘slow internet’

That should not impact performance. However, syncing cloud files can. I would pause cloud sync during camera tracking.

RE: Original Post

Sorry it’s not working as intended… Hopefully we can resolve the issue.

When you click the Set Rest Pose button, do you see red tracking dots over your face in the Camera & Microphone panel?

Does the audio meter show green when you’re talking? If not, if you go into the Preferences dialog box for Character Animator, is the audio hardware’s default input set to the expected microphone?

Is the specific character that you want to control showing a red “arm for record” button in its timeline track?

It’s not uncommon for your computer to use a lot of processor when the camera is involved. As long as your working in a temperate environment on a hard surface, should be able to handle it. But if it slows down, that could be an issue. If you’re not streaming or your process can avoid it, try to have no other apps running that require access to your camera.

The puppet attempts lip sync when it ‘hears’ any audio, however there is a feature that will only allow it to move lips when your mouth is open or moving. Go to:

Character Menu →Preferences→Lip Sync→Camera Based Muting and set the slider to a stronger position. Usually about mid slider will get a good result. After that, if you’ve set your rest pose with your mouth in a neutral position, the character will not lip sync unless your mouth is open or moving out of a neutral position.

RE: ‘slow internet’

That should not impact performance. However, syncing cloud files can. I would pause cloud sync during camera tracking.

RE: Original Post

Sorry it’s not working as intended… Hopefully we can resolve the issue.

When you click the Set Rest Pose button, do you see red tracking dots over your face in the Camera & Microphone panel?

Does the audio meter show green when you’re talking? If not, if you go into the Preferences dialog box for Character Animator, is the audio hardware’s default input set to the expected microphone?

Is the specific character that you want to control showing a red “arm for record” button in its timeline track?

It's not uncommon for your computer to use a lot of processor when the camera is involved. As long as your working in a temperate environment on a hard surface, should be able to handle it. But if it slows down, that could be an issue. If you're not streaming or your process can avoid it, try to have no other apps running that require access to your camera.

The puppet attempts lip sync when it 'hears' any audio, however there is a feature that will only allow it to move lips when your mouth is open or moving. Go to:

Character Menu ->Preferences->Lip Sync->Camera Based Muting and set the slider to a stronger position. Usually about mid slider will get a good result. After that, if you've set your rest pose with your mouth in a neutral position, the character will not lip sync unless your mouth is open or moving out of a neutral position.

RE: 'slow internet'

That should not impact performance. However, syncing cloud files can. I would pause cloud sync during camera tracking.

I'm using a laptop and by lesson 7 my laptop sounded like an airplane it was really loud and it got slower and slower. Do you recommend using a powerful computer for this app? this happened to me earlier with adobe after effects and when everyhting slowed down in my computer I decided to stop using after effects. Do you know which other apps might behave like this on a mac book air?

So far I have only used the app's in Tutorial where a video with auditions plays and then pauses for you to experiment with the different puppets. 1st it is the red monster and as you said I click set rest pose then red tracking dots appear in my face and when I speak the audi green meter goes up. However speaking and moving does not affect the red monster on the screen, he stays frozen. I end up pressing space to continue the video and the same happens again with the next puppet no synchronization between my camera and the puppet.

* Update* I uninstalled Character Animator and re-installed it. The tutorial is now working as normal. Tips pop up on the screen telling me how to share or go to home screen and so on. And also as soon as it is my turn to test the puppet, the latter does not freeze in place but moves according to the camera and behaves they way I want him to.

I have 2 Questions though:

1 When the puppet hears noise without me physcially talking or moving my lips he ends up still opening his mouth. In the trailer for the app they said the puppet follows the camera dots on my lips but that was not the case. How can i fix this

2 I should also note that I am using a mac book air laptop as well as currently have a very slow internet connection. Could these be affecting the quality and perfromance of the app?